Celebrating 100 years of representing growers

30 Nov 2016

The first meeting of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers Federation, Wellington 1916

It has been 100 years since the formation of the New Zealand Fruitgrowers Federation, and 30 November 2016 marks 100 years of growers being represented in Wellington by what is now Horticulture New Zealand.

The 1972 New Zealand Citrus Council conference at Kaikohe was followed by an orchard walk at Kerikeri. Some of the conference delegates and visitors are pictured in L.W.S. Taylor’s old-established orchard, which included some fine-looking avocados.

Showing the diverse array of fresh produce that can be weight sized and colour graded on a machine in March 1996. From left to right, Joe Pope, David Buys, and Hamish Kennedy.

Flooding in Central Otago 1994 – examining the damage on a cherry picker.

Miss Universe New Zealand Lorraine Downes at the Produce Marketing Association’s exposition at New Orleans, USA in October 1983, with Don Brash (Managing Director) and Roly Earp (Chairman) of the New Zealand Kiwifruit Authority which arranged for Miss Universe to promote New Zealand kiwifruit.

Mr Eustace Williams, one of the early growers in Lower Moutere.

Harvesting apples, date unknown.

Kiwifruit tasting in Covent Garden, London (date unknown).

Outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London (date unknown).

Sir Michael and Lady Barbara Fowler

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II visiting a Hastings orchard during her 1963 tour with the Duke of Edinburgh. She is pictured with Mr A A Wake at his Hillview orchard.

Much was done to cement the relationships between the apple growers of Japan and New Zealand during a visit to Japan in 1981 by a small party of New Zealand fruitgrowers which included Federation President Gerald Wall, pictured with Japanese orchard workers.

London bus, April 1932, advertising New Zealand apples.

Lord Bledisloe, left, Governor General of New Zealand from 1930-1935, Lady Bleidsloe and Mr A McKee senior who was the first person to see the great fruitgrowing possibilities in the Moutere Hills and was responsible for opening the Tasman area to apple orchards. Lord Bledisloe took a strong interest in New Zealand fruitgrowing, having once been a commercial grower.